Rebirth of Nobody
by FandomWithEikoRion
Summary: Sora is having bizarre dreams that are causing him to feel guilty every night. He figures them out and comes up with a plan. Along with everyone's help, Sora will be able to return the life of the person that saved him. Takes place after Kingdom Hearts 2. WARNING: Will include characters from later Kingdom Hearts games. Pure fiction, will not contain major spoilers.
1. Chapter 1

I've felt so uneasy, ever since everything was said and done. The worlds were at peace, for now anyway, and I'm finally home where I belong. I'm back with Kairi and Riku, safe but changed. And Donald and Goofy are free to travel the castle, serving the King as they had done before. So, why? Why do I feel like there's a part of me that's still so sad? In the end, all I can think about is a land covered in gold light and a train station with a giant clock tower. I would shoot up from my bed, wide awake, confused of the taste that lingered on my tongue. A tango of salt and cold, much like the ice cream flavor Scrouge McDuck tried so hard to create when we visited Hollow Bastion ( or Radiant Garden as its known now). There was only one thing I could think of, one thing that could make sense. Every night since returning, the dream would wake me, filling me with guilt. I think I need to ask someone, but then, what about after? I don't know what I'll be able to do? What can I do?

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

The sun was setting, Destiny Islands location was slowly blacking, much like the night everything changed. Riku leaving in darkness, Sora gaining control of the Keyblade, Kairi losing her heart, and traveling the worlds with Donald and Goofy. Experiencing the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly situations. Sealing Kingdom Hearts only to wake from a sleeping chamber to do all again, but this time with a new enemy. The Nobodies. Sora's mind was racing, he couldn't relax. It was nice to finally come home after so long, sure, but one year faded much like his memory of Castle Oblivion. Replaced with stress, power, fear, heartbreak and pain; but it also was filled with adventure and freedom, just like Riku, Kairi and he had dreamed of. Sora was restless and found it weird that he had a chance to breathe. Found it insane, but sweet, that everyone in town had welcomed him and Riku back with such fanfare. But even with the welcome, he couldn't help but cry for other reasons. Crying for the end of the journey. Crying that the heartless were few. Crying while his mother hugged him aggressively, threatening him that she would chain him up if he ever ran away again, but still happy he was finally returned. Crying because he was sad, empty.

Sora began wondering, what if Riku felt the same? He hung out with Riku and Kairi at school all the time, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything. Maybe Riku was trying to forget everything, trying to start anew. Maybe he still regretted everything he did, everything he changed. Even though Sora was still feeling that it was his fault as well. But Sora still wanted to talk to him, he knew he would have to eventually. Better now than to wait when the wounds start healing.

"Hey, its getting dark. And the temperature is dropping fast. Don't you think submerging yourself in the ocean is a bit stupid?"

Well, speak of the devil. Sora looked up to a handsome young man, hair freshly cut and still shiny metallic silver like it had always been. Just the person Sora was thinking of.

"Huh," Sora questioned tilting his head back, focusing on Riku's expression in the dark. Water quickly assaulted Sora's nose, burning him with salt and throwing him into a coughing fit as he rolled onto his stomach. While he was laying on the beach lost in thought, the tide had rose, engulfing him whole,

"You idiot, what did you expect? Come on, get out of the water and let's go home."

Sora grabbed onto Riku, "Not yet, I wanna stay a bit longer."

"Ok, fine. But come on, get up." Riku helped Sora out of the wet sand and onto his feet, rolling his eyes in the process.

Sora stuck his tongue out, then plastered a cheeky grin on his face. His cheeks were red from snorting and hacking up water. He was now completely drenched, shivering as a breeze traveled. "So what brings you here, jerk?" They both walked over to the shack and sat against the wall.

"I came looking for you."

"Well, obviously. But why? I'm sure you have more fun things to do."

"Well it was Kairi actually. She said you were acting weird at lunch today. She said you looked listless and you weren't really paying attention in class either. By the way, sorry I couldn't join you guys today. Tidus was being persistent about getting my help on a project."

"That's alright. So is she mad at me now? I know she was talking about something with Sophie, but beyond that. . . "

"Oh, don't worry. She's more worried than angry. We both have kinda noticed that somethings wrong."

"Really? Hee, I guess I suck at hiding things, huh? So, how'd you know where I was?"

Riku scoffed, " Well, first where else is there to go? Second, one of the boat shelter employees said that they saw you take off in this direction and didn't see you come back. I thought I'd come and check on you. Talk with you a bit. I don't know what's completely going on in that mush brain of yours, but I thought 'Who knows maybe he has a secret only another guy would get?' And since I'm a year older, I might understand something's. . ." He trailed off then jumped in fast with the questions, "So, what's up, you finally going through puberty? Having weird urges? Thinking about other girls, come on spill it?!"

Sora retaliated, face puffing up, "Jackass, stop it! I'd never do that to Kairi!"

Riku brought a finger up and roughly poked Sora's cheek before taking the same hand to Sora's nose, wrapping his knuckles around the tip and tugging. "Ow!"

"I know, I'm just teasing. Look, Sora, " Riku took his hand back and looked up at the stars forming in the sky. "If it's something you feel scared to talk about, forget it. Don't worry about my feelings, I was cruel. I was mean to you and Kairi, did terrible things to break you. Used Kairi. If I'd have just ignored the darkness, the urge to run away, none of this would have happened."

"But then I wouldn't have met so many people, seen so many worlds. No matter what, I have to thank you for that."

Riku chuckled softly with a somber smile, then went stone faced once more. "But you get what I'm saying? Talk about everything and anything."

Sora turned to Riku, head down. "Riku, I. . . I'm having a hard time adjusting and I didn't know if I should bring it up." He looked to see Riku's gaze, expression blank as Sora spoke. "I'd talk to Kairi about it but, not to be mean, I was traveling around worrying about finding you both and at that time she was basically a zombie. And then this time, she did help with fighting the organization and all but. . . "

"You felt it'd be better to talk to someone who knows the power of the Keyblade. Someone who went through a similar experience. Someone who was always there, always watching, protecting and guiding you, right?"

"Yeah, you could say that. But there's still more to it, and the only other person near me at the moment that may know anything is you."

Sora stood, Riku followed suit. Sora then went through a frenzy of sneezes, leading Riku to cover Sora with his school uniform jacket.

"First, let's get the boats to shore then we'll talk on the walk home, mkay?"

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

Sora felt icky. He was dripping in a mixture of salt water and mushed sand. His uniform was so tight on his body it was hard to move, but he pushed through, knowing his home was close by. His socks where soaked and made a nasty slapping, splashing sound as water secreted and reabsorbed in his shoes.

He removed Riku's jacket from his shoulders in an attempt to return it.

"Nah, keep it for now, just get your mom to wash it for me or something. Anyway continue with what you were saying."

'Oh so you don't trust ME with washing your crap, huh?' Sora showed a sour face directed at Riku's comment but straightened up immediately. He told Riku in great detail the dreams and how they affected him even hours after he woke up. The tastes, the smells, the sounds, everything he could recall from the last few nights. Riku just nodded and listened closely, waiting patiently for an opening in Sora's speech before speaking. They arrived to their neighborhood as Sora was finishing up. Silence fell for a moment before Riku stated, "It sounds like you're experiencing memories from Twilight Town, but they aren't yours."

"So you also think they're. . ."

"No doubt about it, they belong to Roxas."

Sora got quiet, making Riku nervous. Sora spoke again but more in a whispered hush tone. "I know Riku. I know something that you've kept from everyone."

"What are you. . . "

"I know you knew about the Nobodies abilities to develop hearts. I know you didn't want us to know. You didn't want me or Kairi to know."

Riku stopped in his tracks, causing Sora to stop as well. He heard Riku sigh heavily and looked back. Riku was scratching his head lightly, slightly getting rougher as his hand glided to his neck. His face was twisted, a mix of anger and disappointment, disgust and confusion. If there were anymore emotions existing at that moment, Sora couldn't pinpoint them. "That's not. . . not necessarily true. I didn't say because I didn't really know for sure."

Sora swallowed before he spoke feeling his throat go dry. "Does the King know? Did Ansem tell you anything?"

Riku shook his head and grunted, "Look that man was a devil, he never shared much. He was okay to work with yes. But secrecy-wise, he was sly. I kinda figured it out from interacting with Namane and Axel. They helped and I learned from them a few things. But it was my theory, it was never proven they had hearts."

"And even if it was, I'm right in saying that you wouldn't tell anyone?"

Riku looked away almost ashamed, as if regretting this conversation, regretting bringing up the Nobodies names. But then he spit back, "Yeah, so what!? So what if I would? You gonna get mad at me over a possible 'what if' scenario?"

Sora walked up to Riku and hugged him, making him go silent. "No, I'd understand. In fact, I'd probably do the same. I wouldn't want my friend to know that they may have killed someone innocent. You want to know if its true don't you?" Riku didn't say anything, he just stood there, hesitant. "This is what I feared, talking to you about something that I know would lead to this. But I'm glad we did. And now I think I know what we can do, what I need to do."

Riku pulled away from Sora, feeling his shirt moisten from Sora's own. He didn't really notice, and Sora didn't think about the state of his clothing when he grabbed Riku. "What are we gonna do then?"

"Do you still have the communication device the King gave you?"

Riku blinked, "Yeah, its at home, why?"

"Thanks for talking with me, I think I've cleared my head a bit, but I think we both need to talk to someone."

"Who," Riku asked with a bit of excitement.

"Yensid, he had a bit of knowledge on the Heartless and Nobodies before, he may know about Nobodies hearts."

"Yensid, King Mickey's master? But even if you can get infomation out of him, how will this help with your dreams?"

Sora looked at Riku nervously before giving a crooked smile.

"I don't like that look Sora. . . " Riku claimed before it finally clicked, Sora was going to attempt something crazy. "Sora, you're not gonna ask him if he can. . . "

"Let's just say, I may do something a bit. . .

. . . crazy. . . "

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

"Sora, are you sure you're gonna be okay? I know somethings been bugging you, and I understand if its something you only feel comfortable in discussing with Riku. But you two should really take a break from all of this. You guys only returned a month ago! You should be relaxing, resting. You guys have done enough."

"Kairi I'm ok really, I just need to go talk to one of King Mickey's friends about something."

"I know that's what you're saying but," she sighed, "Is it really something that can't be solved here? I'm sorry if I'm sounding needy or selfish, but I really wish there's more that I can do."

"Kairi. . . "

Kairi was in deep conversation with Sora, trying to figure out what was going on. She had followed Sora and Riku to Destiny Island after they told her they were leaving early that morning. They told her that she didn't need to come, that the King just wanted them to take care of a small errand. She wasn't buying it, and the boys realized it was a weak story to tell. In the end they dropped it, but they didn't tell her anything else.

Sora stared at her, watching her face switch emotion. She went from self loafing to stern, her eyes hardening as she scolded him. She wasn't giving in.

Sora simply smiled, "I know Kairi, I know. But I'll be gone for a few days. I'm not even sure that anything will come out of this trip. But we have to try."

While the two talked, Riku took it into his own hands to call His Majesty. He was standing on the island farther out, connected by the bridge that led to the top of the shacks stairwell door. Riku sat on the pawpu tree, the same one where he and his friends would rest and talk. Nostalgia filled him as he became reminiscent of the events that happened. He did remember, oddly enough, that Sora was stronger _that_ day. He was defeating Riku every time there was a challenge, which was very rare. Maybe that was the sign, the sign he was meant to be the Keyblade bearer.

Riku realized minutes had gone by while he thought. He looked down at the communicator, still waiting for the frequency wave that would contact the Disney castle. It was then that the communicator caught his attention. He'd had it for a while now, but never really thought to marvel at it.

The communicator was tiny, and it seemed to be made out of the same material as the gummi ships. It wasn't very colorful like the ones Riku saw Sora flying before, and it was more designed like a walky-talky. Other than that it wasn't much. It was kind of amazing though, that such a simple looking tool could have such a signal range.

Riku turned to look down at Kairi. Sora was still trying his best to calm Kairi, but she was getting slightly louder. Riku chuckled as he overheard her voice.

"I'm coming with you, I'm not staying here!"

Kairi was super stubborn, and Riku couldn't help but admire her for that. But he knew that if she kept it up, he'd have to side with Sora. He agreed with Sora, it would be best if she stayed. They were already going to have a fenzy with Donald, Goofy, and the King. Especially once they heard what Sora was wanting to do.

The communicator started crackling with a voice breaking through in segments.

"H. . . He. . .l"

It was Chip from the two chipmunk team that managed the gummi ship.

"Hey Chip, right? The names Riku, you there?"

The crackling cleared, allowing Chips voice to come through clear. Dale was in the background humming softly. "Sorry? Uh, Riku?" There was a quick pause, ". . . Oh you're Sora's friend aren't you? How is Sora?"

"He's good, he's talking to someone at the moment. I need to change the subject, do you think you can get the King on the line? Sora and I, we have a favor to ask. . . "

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

The gummi ship arrived a few hours after Riku put in the call. It was now reaching ten in the morning, usually the time that people began coming to the islands to hang out. The ship came in to land, as quietly as the engines could muster. Riku jumped down from the island into the small gathering of water and sand that led to the beach. The gummi ship plopped by the dock, rocking the boats tied down to it. The tide pushed up higher with each wave, leaving the three friends no choice but to move closer to the stone wall further back. Once the waves settled, the top of the gummi opened, allowing Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey to climb out.

Everyone joined on the dock, sharing hugs and simple greetings before getting right into business.

Kairi climbed into her boat slowly, hesitantly. She seemed smaller, tired, worn out. She was trying so hard to go with them, to get more information than she had. But in the end, she knew she would have to give up.

Sora stood beside her, helping her prepare to take off. As he set up her paddles, he couldn't help but feel ashamed. He made her depressed, put her in a more pitiful state. All for the sake of not getting her involved. He promised he wouldn't make her worry again, but here he was doing it. Nothing had changed, he was still useless in his mind. Sora didn't want to hurt anyone anymore, but he had to take care of things. If only he could just tell her too, but. . .

"Kairi, I. . ."

Kairi reached out and grabbed his hand. Sora blinked, shocked by the quick motion. Kairi's face was blushed, eyes glossy as if on the verge of tears. Sora could feel the panic set in, not sure what else he could say, what he was going to say.

Kairi spoke softly, "It's true that I don't like the idea of you leaving and I feel lost at the moment, but do know that no matter what, I trust you. I have always trusted you. Now, I need you to promise me something to put me at ease."

Sora nodded, willing to do anything to make her happy.

Kairi threw her head up, putting a bit of bite into her request. "You better come back to me! You better tell me everything as well while you're at it! You got that you meanie?"

Sora sighed then gently smiled. He squeezed her hand with confidence, "I will, I promise."

"You damn right you promise." She was crying now, drowning in her tears. This wasn't how Sora wanted to see her go. But he knew there was nothing else that could be done.

Kairi jerked her hand away to wipe at her face before staring up at the others. She had a fierce expression. "You all take care of him for me, okay?"

Jumping at her words, Donald, Goofy, and even the King formed a line before saluting. "Yes, ma'am!"

And with that, Kairi was gone. Everyone piled into the ship, ready to venture off to Twight Town. Sora was nervous, but he was prepared. It was time to chat with the great wizard Yensid.


	2. Chapter 2

Twilight Town was easier to locate and lock on to than Sora remembered. Although it was just a while ago, it felt like it had been forever since he'd interacted with the ship. The bright lights that colored the interior, the keys that activated the ships functions, and most of all, the spacious gaps. The ship may have looked very tiny from the outside, but it was full of many surprises.

Once the warp function was activated, the ship transported them in the blink of an eye.

They landed by the abandoned mansion, in order to keep the ship out of sight, and began their walk through town to get to the train station. As they passed the shops in the main district, King Mickey started asking questions.

"So, you guys are curious about the Nobodies hearts? Ok. . . But neither of you have told me why?"

Riku took over for Sora, answering the Kings questions to the best of his ability. They pushed forward, walking ahead of Sora and the King's men. However Donald and Goofy stayed behind Sora, as if to give him space while still waiting for any moment where he may need them.

As they continued walking, Sora became distracted by the painful ache in his chest. What was odd though was that whether it was from the dream or visiting the town, this feeling was never that bad from what he could recall. Of all the times he had been here; hunting Organization XIII, looking for Riku, returning home to Kairi, it never had a heavy tug. Not even when he had that bizarre tear spill over in front of Hayner and his friends. Not even after, when the sadness lingered the rest of the train ride. But his heart continued to tighten to the point that he thought it would stop beating.

Sora clutched his chest, bunching up his shirt in a death grip. Donald and Goofy came up behind him, noticing his reaction. Goofy clasped Sora's shoulder, while Donald stepped out into his path. Sora snapped out of his trance, looking from the small duck facing and then to the dog behind him.

Sora slowed to a stop and shook his head, "It's okay, I'm fine."

Donald and Goofy didn't believe what he was saying, much like everyone else, but they let him be. They remained by his side the rest of the way. Although there was no talking, Sora felt a bit more calm.

Mickey turned forward, processing what he saw. Riku went quiet.

"So, about what you said during the call. . ."

"Do you think he may know?"

"My master had studied many things over the years I was learning from him. The Nobodies have existed as long as the Heartless have, they just only became a major threat recently with Organization XIII. It's only natural that we don't have everything on record or in a research file." Mickey sighed, "But I don't know for sure if he has all the answers. Even Ansem was testing and researching them to the very end." Mickey had a sad look to him for a moment.

Riku quickly changed the subject, "Again, I know this is a bit out of your way. And you didn't have to come if you had your important royalty duties to attend to. But I'm sure Sora appreciates it as much as I do."

"Not at all, I owe you both everything. This is the least I could do!"

Riku spoke with a troubled voice, "I don't think you should add me in your praise, Your Highness. I didn't do anything special."

Mickey smiled, "Of course you did. Granted, things didn't go well in the beginning, but you've proven yourself to be a great ally. Without your help, we probably would be at a dead end. And then what about Kairi and Sora, huh?"

Riku looked more grim even with the wide smile, "Sometimes, I wonder if I should have just disappeared. I love them and all, but I just feel they'd be better off. I felt so happy when Sora and I met again, although, I didn't want him to see me in the skin of his greatest enemy. Still. . ."

"And again I ask, what about Sora and Kairi?"

Riku looked to Mickey, shocked at the tone his voice had took. Frustrated, and somewhat upset. The King was usually always smiling and in a cheery mood, even during the worst of scenarios. It was rare to see him cross his arms and give off a very intimidating aura.

Riku froze, breathe caught.

"What would that do to them, I wonder?"

Riku couldn't bring himself to say anything, to do anything.

Mickey realized that Riku was troubled, and decided it was time for a heart-to-heart. He sighed, "Sora couldn't stop thinking about you and Kairi. He did everything in his power to save you. And right now, he isn't worried about the past. He's put any bad blood the both of you shared behind him. He's forgiven you Riku. And so has Kairi." Mickey paused long enough to let that last sentence sink in. The word 'forgiven', _that_ was what Riku needed to get through his head.

Mickey continued, determined to prove to Riku his worth. "Even when I followed your orders and told Sora to move on, he was so determined. If he heard what you were saying to me right now, he'd probably do the unthinkable to keep you from going away. But you know this already don't you, more than anyone else? And now here you are, helping him. He came to talk to you first, right?"

Riku chuckled, "Well, I kinda found him drowning in the ocean, but your not too far off."

Mickey laughed out loud startling everyone in the area. His smile returned, face softening as he spoke again, "Do you see? Everyone has forgiven you, Riku. They trust you just like before, so maybe, it's about time you forgive yourself. . ."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

"Hey look, we made it way ahead of schedule!" Donald exclaimed as the group approached the plaza. As everyone walked through the main gate connecting the ally to the plaza, the clock tower portion of the station began to play its hourly tune as the hands struck noon. The sound rang through their ears, putting them at peace for a moment.

Sora felt winded as the tune got louder, causing him to get dizzy out of the blue. He stumbled over to the stairs as fast as he could, trying not to trip as he turned to sit on a step. Riku ran to him, kneeling in front.

"Hey, you okay?"

Sora raised his head from the palms of his hands, "Yeah, but uh, do you think we can stop for a minute. I'm just really tired at the moment. Just a few deep breathes and I'll be fine."

"Okay, then I'll get the tickets." Riku stood up and got halfway up the steps, "One of us can stay with you until it's time."

"Nah, I'm fine. I know I'm being a bit weird, but I feel I need to be alone for a sec."

Donald and Goofy were reluctant, but Riku and Mickey nodded. "Gotcha, just don't take too long. This is the only train that we can take today. The only other time is two days from now, and who knows what Kairi will do if you take longer than you swore?"

"Yep, I know buddy."

It took a bit of persuading, but Riku was able to lead Sora's partners into the station.

Sora was alone now, taking in the view of the suns golden rays as they spread across the sky. It was always interesting to Sora that no matter what time of day it was, the sun never really moved. It always looked like the sun was setting everywhere you went. There was a soft breeze, blowing Sora's hair back and tugging his jacket. He closed his eyes taking a breathe before said breeze picked up.

Sora was caught, eyes stuck fast. Every time he tried to open them, he could feel the pressure pushing. He attempted slowly, allowing his eyes to adjust as he blinked. His vision cleared more and more until he was left in awe.

He was on top of the station, standing in front of the clock. There was a small platform with a very, very short rail guard wrapping it. Sora was sitting on the rail, looking out to the sky as he was doing on the ground. But as weird as this situation was, Sora didn't find himself freaking out or questioning how he arrived up there. He just felt happy and free.

Even higher up off the ground, the sky was fuller, brighter, and traveled farther. It stretched so far out that it not only covered the town, it seemed like many other worlds could witness the same beauty. This, indeed, was the best view.

Sora took his mind off his surroundings when he realized his hand was wet and sticky. He brought his hand up and examined the half melted ice cream bar, pale blue in color. _This can't be. . ._

He brought the bar up to his lips and bit, and it was, _Sea-salt ice cream._ It was the flavor Roxas enjoyed so much.

 _Roxas, its melting!_

Sora could hear a voice and it sounded just like, "Olette?"

Sora was spooked a bit, but he climbed over the rail and onto the solid platform. As he stood, more voices started flooding his mind. It was Hayner and Pence now, their voices clashing with Olette's.

 _We can't always be together, so its best. . ._

 _. . . in search for the seven wonders. . ._

 _Here, I have a present too. . ._

 _Haha, one more treasure for us to share. . ._

 _Roxas are. . ._

 _Roxas do you. . ._

 _Roxas. . ._

 _Roxas. . ._

 _Roxas. . ._

 _Roxas. . ._

Roxas's name echoed through Sora's head starting with the three friends then slowly turning into a chant.

 _Roxas! Roxas! Roxas! Roxas!_

Sora closed his eyes and saw a small vision. It was Roxas standing in the middle of the struggle ring, audience members cheering and shouting with glee. Roxas had a smile plastered on his face. But it was so beautiful, so carefree. It was a smile so natural that it was truly hard to believe a Nobody, a creature that supposedly couldn't express emotion, like Roxas could. Roxas was. . . happy.

One more vision came through, rough and somewhat mashed together. It was Hayner through Roxas's point of view. He was curled on top of a crate, ice cream in one hand and his other hand was wrapped around his knee. His expression was angry, his voice jealous. But just as fast another image came through. This time it was Hayner grinning, arm pressed against Roxas's own. Pence and Olette were in the background, excitement in their eyes as all four of them were gathered around a struggle poster. And then came Hayner's voice. . .

 _I promised I'd be somewhere. . ._

 _. . .It's a promise. . ._

And with that everything faded.

Sora opened his eyes and found himself back on the stairs. Tears were falling from his cheeks, but he couldn't help but smile.

Sora whispered to himself, "That was you wasn't it? This place meant so much to you, these people meant so much to you. This is where your heart calls home. Well, I want to help you Roxas. I'm gonna do everything in my power to free you."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

The train ride a was fairly silent, apart from a few giggles shared between Sora, Donald and Goofy. The two did what the could to keep Sora talking, to keep him smiling. Everything from jokes, to silly faces, to taking a trip down memory lane.

Riku couldn't help but watch them, finding himself enjoying their antics. And he had to admit yet again that they worked well off of each other. The three were like a well-oiled machine, what ever they did, they linked together.

Riku just found it somewhat funny, somewhat humiliating that a year ago he hated their guts. Donald and Goofy were replacements, which automatically made them his target. And Sora. . . To Riku he was a traitor and nothing more. He hated the idea of Sora adventuring with two strangers rather than finding him and Kairi faster. But what he hated most of all was the fact that Maleficent, a woman who knew nothing about him or his friends, was able to twist him and manipulate him just with few words and no wicked spell. He was so willing that even now, he couldn't consider himself of victim to her plans.

Mickey's voice pulled Riku out of his fixation, "You bored Riku? We can stop and do something else if you'd like?"

Riku shook his head, looking down at the cards in his hand. Again, no luck, he got another shit hand. He sighed and threw his hand down, laying the cards face up in a line.

To each of their sides were their tickets, marked with their wins. This was their thirteenth hand, with the score at 10 to 3, Mickey over Riku.

"Wow, your not doing very well today. Usually your merciless, are you letting me win?"

"Nah, it's just not my day. Besides, it would be boring if I won everything, all the time. Well, you've seen how bad my hand was, what about yours?"

"Sorry Riku," Mickey apologized before laying his cards down. "Royal Flush."

"Another landslide, and of course it was gonna be a Royal. Okay, now I'm gonna be a sore loser and say I'm done."

"That's fine, but remember our deal. Loser buys the winner ice cream."

"Yeah, I know."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

Everyone got off the train and went for Yensid's tower. As they reached the steps, Sora looked back at the train, waiting to see its disappearing act like before.

The train was cute and greatly detailed. It was colored in different abrade shades of purple and blue, and covered in gold trim along the bottom. It had white crescent moons and stars on the sides, in a curved line that traveled from back to front. The front window, where the conductor usually was located, was currently empty and had the look of an egress window. Shooting stars were seen above the door frames and at the front point of the train, and the front was covered in a solid gold with a detail magical mist. But the biggest feature of them all was the hat atop it, which was the spitting image of Yensind's own wizard cap.

The train began vanishing from view, mixed in a slew of sparkle and an aurora borealis effect.

The group entered the tower, walking the many stairs and going through all the trick rooms that lead to the magicians study. Every flight was different with each room they exited. Some were curved, some swirled, and some where straight shots from one door to the next. All Sora knew was that he couldn't remember any of these details.

By the time they reached Yensid's room, they were out of breathe. Sora could feel his legs turn to jelly. Although Sora was much more tired this time, he found it weird that he felt so weak. Maybe it helped that before they were fighting the Heartless with such determination, adrenaline rushing through their veins.

The door creaked slightly, causing them all to jump. A voice came through, soothing and calming, "You may enter."

The group piled in one at a time. The room was barely lit, with Yensid standing tall by the window.

Yensid looked to them; in turn, Donald, Goofy, and Mickey bowed on one knee with their heads down in respect. Sora had a moment of deja vu and felt that this time he should do the same. He followed their lead, leaving Riku alone to stand. Riku raised an eyebrow in confusion, but remained as he was.

Yensid turned slowly and walked over to his chair. Whisking his hand through the air made the candles increase in light, making the room blindingly bright before dimming slightly.

"So you're Master Yensid," Riku asked, very forward coming off a bit rude to the others. He grinned, "This is interesting. I've heard a lot about you from the King."

Donald and Goofy, horrified, looked from Riku to Sora. Donald was red with anger, "You both really are alike."

Sora gave a nervous grin and rubbed the back of his head.

Yensid raised his hand, face concerned as he tried to calm them. Once everyone was quiet and on their feet, he turned to Riku.

"And you are Riku, I take it?"

"Yes, sir."

Yensid leaned forward onto his desk, fingers overlapping as he brought his hands together. He glared at the young man, giving him an uneasy air. Riku's smile was gone, confidence fading. There a small silence that just continued on for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Yensid closed his eyes, chuckling lightly, "You have turned into a fine young man. And it looks like any changes you have made on the path you chose have worked well to shape you now. Don't you think?"

Riku was motionless, mouth agapped before feeling safe enough to state, "I'd like to believe so."

Yensid nodded his head then leaned back into his chair. He turned his attention to his apprentice, a smile playing on his lips.

Mickey returned the smile, "It's been a while, Master."

"Yes it really has been. When we get a chance, we should sit down and discuss everything. I would like to hear how things are at the castle."

"I would enjoy that very much."

At last, Yensid brought his attention to Sora.

Sora spoke nervously, but with gusto, "I'm glad to see you again, Master Yensid."

"And I as well Sora. First off, I would like to say thank you for your hard work." Sora nodded at his comment, happy. "But I will state, this is a bit of a surprise. With the responsibility of wielding the Keyblade being very overbearing, you should be at home resting up and enjoying you life. Especially if there is a case where you will be needed to do it again."

"I understand, believe me. I want that more than anything. It feels like its been forever since I saw home, but I need to talk to you. . . about. . ."

Yensid raised his eyebrow, "About?"

Sora swallowed hard, looking to Yensid's stare. His look was heavy, dark, almost as if he was challenging Sora to speak up. Sora stepped up, assertive and unafraid. He was finally ready.

". . . About the possibility of resurrecting a Nobody."

The room grew deathly silent with everyone's voices caught in their throats. No one knew what to say or what to do. The reactions weren't as severe as Sora had feared, but he knew once he explained, shit would hit the fan.

Yensid cleared his voice and stated, "If I tell you that I know how, then what is it that you are planning?"

". . . Roxas. . ."

"Come again?"

"Roxas! I'm gonna give Roxas his life back. Please, if there is a way to split us, then do it! Even if it means I'll have to donate half of my heart for it to work, I'll do it!"

 _I want Roxas to exist. . .this time for real. . ._


	3. Chapter 3

Everything ached, his body was numb. There was nothing that could be done but to remain stuck in a curled position on something cold and hard, something that felt like a wooden floor. Whether it was a floor or not, it was unforgiving, mercilessly causing nothing but shivers that made Roxas's body rack with pain. Any small movement was a shock to the nerves, everything was sensitive as if he was open, exposed to the bone. His eyes wouldn't open, couldn't open. They were sealed shut, lids heavy leaving everything around him to be picked up only by sound.

There were so many voices, but there were three that could be picked out at the moment. The voices belonged to women, high-pitched, two sounded motherly while the last sounded panicked.

"Oh my, he's reacting so violently the poor dear. . ."

"Quickly, makeshift the table. . ."

"We have to make sure it's comfortable. . ."

There was rustling and footsteps throughout, all rushing to finish whatever they were doing. Vibrations from everyone's movements didn't make any of the sensations easier for Roxas to handle.

"No, you stay there. We've got this."

"Riku. . .!"

"No, let me handle it, you rest."

Now Roxas could pick up two voices, both young and they sounded so familiar.

"Are we ready? Okay, I'm bringing him over now." One of the voices was closer now. Sounded like a teenager, an older teen to be precise. A pair of strong arms lifted him up, cradling Roxas's body close. A shockwave came through momentarily, causing a groan to resonate. Roxas went limp the longer he remained in these arms, pressed against the teens chest. Guessing by voice distinction and the conversation he heard seconds ago, Roxas had a feeling this was _Riku_. There was a strong heat radiating from _Riku_ that calmed Roxas's aches. The arms that had him now were careful with him. But something was odd, it felt like he was grabbed by them before. Very aggressively, they had a death grip on him prior, but Roxas couldn't understand why he thought this. He didn't even know who this _Riku_ person was. Yet _Riku_ gave him a feeling of dread that he couldn't pinpoint. But Roxas let the feeling fade since _Riku_ was carrying him, walking with him and cradling him like he was glass.

Roxas felt a headache forming as he was laid onto a flat surface. The surface was covered in a blanketed material that warmed his back, much different from where he was laying. After flinching and fidgeting this whole time, Roxas finally got his eyes to open a bit. His vision was terrible and he had a hard time focusing on the teen that hovered over him, but he was able to make out a few details. Short silver hair and piercing blue-green eyes that seemed to be staring into Roxas's soul. Riku lead Roxas's head onto the pillow before pulling his hand away and exiting from view.

Another voice came through, gruff and deep, like that of a grumpy old man. The voice was giving orders. "Flora, Fauna, Merryweather, cover him. Make up some clothes similar to Sora's for the time being."

 _Sora?_ Why did that name. . . To Roxas. . .?

Bright lights came into Roxas's view; pink, blue, and green mixed into one blinding light. Roxas tried to turn on his side, bringing his arms up to cover his eyes. He regretted his choice immediately. His muscle spasms increased causing his body to freeze. Everything was screaming, everything felt like he had been set ablaze. He wanted to yell in pain, but nothing formed.

"Hey, you have to stay still," Riku's voice echoed in Roxas's head.

 _No, fuck you! I don't understand! I want out of here. . . I want out!_

With all that Roxas wanted to say, wanted to do, he couldn't. He was as helpless as a newborn baby. But he wasn't going to stop here. He was able to get onto his side, planning to dash for any opening the moment he could get on all fours. It didn't matter what happened, he could deal with any of the damage to his body later.

Suddenly there was a thud, the sound of a chair hitting the ground. Roxas looked up for a instant, noticing a figure walking toward him before he was thrown on his back again, hands pinning his shoulders down. Roxas felt pure agony, his back felt like it had snapped in two. There was a small whisper in between the wheezing strangers breathe. It sounded like an apology.

"Dammit, you shouldn't have. . ."

"It's okay, Riku. Let me try."

Roxas started to panic, tossing and turning again, bringing himself to tears as he threw himself into a swirl of anxiety, fear, and bodily torment. He was scared, afraid they'd hurt him. Terrified that they'd use him for some kind of experiment. He didn't want any of this, he just wanted to be left alone. He tried screaming and cursing at the person above him, but he only started coughing, fucking up his breathing in the process. His vision blurred, his throat closing up as he tried to breathe.

The hands that had him pinned reached his face, wiping away his tears as his head was placed back to its original position.

Roxas was now staring at the stranger, but he couldn't make out anything but blue eyes and a hair style that had a combination of spiked and bedhead. The eyes seemed just as piercing as the teen before, but these were more gentle, had more kindness and tenderness to them. And so did the voice that came from the stranger.

"Ssshh, it's alright. Take a deep breathe."

Roxas calmed down as he lost himself in the strangers eyes. Once he regained control, the stranger spoke again. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so rough," he spoke softly. His hands remained on Roxas's face as he spoke, his thumbs stroking each cheek in small circular motions. He continued, "I'm sure you're confused, but trust me, there's nothing to be scared of. We just need you to remain still for a moment, okay? Or, maybe you like being naked?"

Roxas processed what he heard, realizing the stranger was right. He had been nude this entire time and didn't really notice. Roxas could feel himself blush, red and hot with embarrassment. He felt he could start crying again, and he must have showed.

"Hey, it's alright, calm down. We're here to help you, just stay still for a minute got it?"

Roxas gave an innocent nod, erasing any emotion visible.

The stranger simply chuckled, then looked forward, up and out to the others that Roxas didn't see. "I think I got him to calm down a bit. Go ahead and try again, Ladies."

The light came again, just as blinding as before. The stranger looked back down at Roxas, averting his eyes from the light at well. Roxas took this opportunity to focus more on him. Although nothing else could be confirmed, Roxas was fascinated by the feeling he got from being near him. I was something that was hard to explain, even though he felt he didn't really know this person. It was almost like they were one in the same, like twins. It was like they shared the same skin, the same blood, the same heart.

Roxas felt an overwhelming euphoria as the light engulfed him, but he wasn't scared, if anything he felt. . . like someone was hugging him in a loving embrace. When the light disappeared, the embrace came in the form of fabric, clothing that was tight in some areas and loose in others. But they were comfortable, enough that Roxas could feel himself drifting in and out of consciousness.

"Better," the stranger above him asked. Roxas nodded. The stranger sighed happily as he leaned back. Finally, Roxas could fully see his face.

He was a teenager, brown hair, blue eyes but he didn't look to healthy. He looked pale, almost white. He had bags under his eyes and looked fatigued. He had the image of a person that had been to hell and back, completely exhausted and broken. But even in such a pitiful state, he had a shit eating grin on his face.

Roxas came up with a name for the teen, and it all made sense. He understood why he felt such a strong connection.

"Hey, Roxas. Remember me?"

"So. . .," Roxas's voice cracked, but he swallowed and tried again. "Sor. . .a"

Sora's grin somehow expanded, "Yeah, good job." He grew serious before speaking again, "This must really confusing for you, and again I'm sorry if I hurt you or if we scared you. That wasn't our intention."

Roxas just blinked at Sora's statement, yawning lightly.

Sora's smile returned as he shook his head, "Never mind, go ahead and get some sleep. You'll feel a bit better afterward." Sora went to pull his hands away, but felt Roxas snatch them back.

"Sora, I. . ."

Sora returned to Roxas, "Don't worry, I've got you. _We_ ' _ve_ got you. And we're gonna be here, okay? I'll stay right here. You're gonna be fine. . .

. . . Now get some rest, you'll need it. . ."

 _ **Author's Note: I'm sorry for the chapter to be as short as it is, but when I wrote the chapter summaries out, I wanted Roxas's birth to have it's own chapter. Not only did I think it would be more emotional, but I felt it would just fit since the story is mainly about his second chance. I know this is weird, but whatever, maybe I'm the only one that feels weird about it. The rest of the chapters will match the length of the first two, but until then I hope you have enjoyed the story so far! Thank you very much for reading!**_


	4. Chapter 4

Roxas was asleep, breathing rhythmic and evenly paced. It took a lot of persuasion to get Sora down as well; between Riku and Donald nagging him, the fairies and Goofy along with Mickey worrying themselves silly, and Yensid praising them then begging him to rest, Sora finally gave in. He and Roxas were both on the table that was set in the middle of Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather's magical study.

Sora was more ill and injured than he thought. When he jumped forward after Roxas during the teens freak-out, Sora didn't have time to focus on his own struggle. He pulled his hand away from Roxas's sleeping head long enough to reach for Riku and Goofy, when he got light-headed and stumbled forward. Thankfully, Goofy slide fast to catch Sora before he hit the ground.

"Ah, sorry."

"Gawrsh, it's alright, just be careful."

Riku came around and lifted Sora up by his right arm while Goofy took Sora's left. Together, they picked him up enough to help him with balance as they walked him around to the side of the giant table. Goofy took the majority of the teen's weight, hoping to give Riku more ease.

Although Sora was the main reason for Roxas's extraction, Riku had to get involved as well. He put as much effort into Roxas's birth as Sora had, he deserved a break too.

Riku's right arm was completely swallowed in black, like he had placed his hand in a vat of ink. It had a repulsive miasma and was covered in a mist similar to that of the portals that Riku, Oragnization XIII and Maleficent used to access the dark realm. Riku didn't want anyone to touch him or to interact with the poisoned limb, however he remained curtious to his friend by giving Sora his left side to lean.

With Sora now comfortable and fast asleep with Roxas, the fairies brought over a quilt to drape over the two.

Riku sighed, "Jeez, it's like tucking in two rambunctious massive children."

Riku meant for his statement to be a sarcastic joke, but Donald didn't see it that way. He glared at Riku, arms crossed as the teen walked over to a pillow and foam covered chair across from the chamber doors.

"You make it sound like it's a burden." Donald looked to Riku's arm, and immediately felt guilty. Riku had worked his ass off as well. Apologetically he said, "Which it kinda is, but that's not it. What I'm trying to say is 'Don't tell me you're regretting this?'"

"Regret? Nah, I don't regret anything. I'm just hurting a little, so I'm probably a bit grumpy."

"I'm sorry." King Mickey approached the two, head down as if ashamed.

The room grew silent, leaving an eerie and ackward pause.

"Your Majesty," Goofy came up behind Mickey.

"Why are you," Riku attempted before the King cut him off.

"I wish there was more I could have done, there should have been more for me to do! I understand that you had to be involved in the 'delivery' process, but. . ."

"Hey, what are you. . ."

"You should have let me take some of the burden. Especially if it was going to be this bad."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

The doors openned, revealing Yensid to the fairies within the chamber. They approached, heads down in respect.

"Master Yensid, how may we be of service," Flora asked.

"Good evening, Ladies. We have some guests here visiting." Yensid moved in order for the fairies to greet the group.

"Sora, Donald, Goofy," Merryweather said with excitment as she ran towards each of them, trapping them in a bearhug.

"Hey, long, time, no, see," Sora said between breathes.

Flora and Fauna came toward Mickey, curstying. "It's an honor, your highness."

"Awe goodness, there's no need for that. We're the same here, us apprentises stick together."

The two fairies smiled then turned their attention to Riku.

"And who is this handsome young man?"

"This is Riku. He is Sora's childhood friend."

"Pleasure," was all Riku had to say to make the fairies blush.

"Ok, now that everyone has met, it's time to get to business," Yensid stated with the clap of his hands. Yensid turned to Sora, "Are you ready for this? This is going to be the most painful thing you will probably ever experience."

Sora simply shook his head, "I know, and I really don't like the idea of what I'm gonna feel, but I'll do anything. I trust you, Master Yensid."

"I'm not the only one you need to trust. Riku. . ."

Everyone looked to Riku, just as confused as he was. He pointed to himself, "Me, sir?"

"Yes, come."

Just with that small command, Riku stood before him, curious as to what he was doing. Yensid placed a hand over Riku and chanted a spell. There was no weird feeling, no odd sensations. Just a small blue-green light appeared and disappeared before Riku could blink.

"Now, I need you to open a portal."

"What? You don't mean. . ."

"Yes, a door to the realm of darkness."

Riku looked at the palm of his hand, hesitating before bring it up. He closed his eyes, clearing his mind to focus. Once he heard the others gasp, he openned his eyes to a giant black and purple mass. It had a powerful pull, the same pull that had him by the throat in the beginning. He shook his head and turned away quickly, destroying the portal at the same time.

Riku looked at Yensid, horrified. "Why, why did you do this?"

Yensid placed his hands on Riku's shoulders, "I know you're scared. But this will be temperary. For this plan to work, I'm going to need your help."

"But, what can I do? What if I mess up? I. . ."

"You have the ability of darkness and you are a keyblade bearer. With your help, I'll be able to collect the proper parts of Sora's heart that will mold Roxas's new body and mind."

"But. . ." Riku didn't know what to say. He wanted to object, but it was for Sora. He looked to his friend, who just smiled.

"I trust you too, Riku. Come on, let's do this!"

Riku was nervous as all hell, but he was willing to hide it for Sora's sake.

"I want you to know, Riku. This is the first time I've ever done this, but I have confidence from my years of study. However, because of that lack of practice, I don't know the strain this will have on your body. All I can guarantee is that you will not be majorly disfigured or killed. But I can't guarantee you won't be scarred in some way. So, are you ready?"

To Riku, they were too far in. "I'm ready."

"Okay. Just follow my lead and we can get this done swift and safely."

Mickey interrupted, "Master Yensid, you said this is a process that can be done by someone who has control of the Keyblade, correct?"

"Your Majesty!"

"Hush," the King commanded to his minions. He continued, "I don't have the power to control darkness, but is it possible that, somehow, I could share the burden?"

Yensid shook head, "I'm sorry, Mickey. From what I know, only Riku can do this."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

King Mickey grew quiet, remembering what he was told before. He was just taking his frustrations out on his friends.

"Look, forget it. I'm just a bit upset. Everythings just been a bit over-the-top today, but that's no excuse."

"Mickey. . ."

"Besides, everyone's okay. And look we have a new friend with us now! This is great! Everyone's alive and well, so what am I worried about?"

Riku smiled, "Yeah, what do you have to worry about?"

With things settled, everybody went about the room talking among one another, whispering so as not to disturb the teens that slept.

Yensid stood in front of Riku, doing his best to treat his arm. He used one spell to take away the sickeningly sweet scent, followed by three more to get rid of the pain, the mist, and to lighten up the color.

"Well, it's better than I thought. Looks like you'll have minimal scarring, but this is all I can do. The black color will fade in a day or two, back to the proper flesh-tone. You'll be back to normal in no-time."

Riku looked to Yensid, "What about Sora? I know you said this would work, but how is this gonna affect him in the long run?"

Yensid smiled gently, "You have no need to worry, Sora has been conscious without a Nobody before. . ."

"But not half of his heart."

"I feel Sora is strong enough to live without half. By giving the parts of his heart that held Roxas's memories and by sharing portions of his emotions, Roxas will have an easier time adapting to his new being."

Riku was a reck, still unsure of everything. But he knew he would just have to watch his friend closely. And at the moment, Riku could find peace in the fact that Sora was happy.

Sora was pressed against Roxas, snuggling him with a smile on his face as he dreamed. He was looking well-rested compared to his eratic sleeping patterns before.

The next part of their plan was to return Roxas home to Twilight Town.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

Yensid left the tower in order to summon the train back to pick up Sora and his friends, King Mickey walking quickly behind him. The group started preparing for their departure. Donald and Goofy were saying farewell to the three good fairies, while Riku and Sora tended to Roxas.

They were able to get the teen somewhat awake, but he looked dreary, acted zombie-like. Just small noises escaped his throat. He rubbed his eyes and gave a yawn. Sora simply smiled, finding Roxas adorable with his little jesters.

"Hey, buddy. It's about time to go. You awake?"

Roxas looked to Sora for a moment, focusing on his face long enough to drift off.

Sora shook him gently, "Haha, come on, you can sleep on the train. But in order to get there, we need your help. Can you stand?"

Roxas moved without a single word, eyes still half closed. He crawled off the table and onto his feet, grabbing on the hands offered to him. He held onto Sora and Riku's hands as he stumbled, attempting to walk.

"You boys must be wary, please, allow us to ease your walk," Fauna requested as she brought out her wand. The other fairies followed her lead.

"What do you. . ."

A flash a light appeared, the same light Roxas had seen when he was born. Green, blue and pink mixed into one white bright, and in a blink everyone was on the first floor in the entryway.

"We all agreed that this would be faster."

"And it was, thank you." Riku flashed a smile.

Goofy walked behind the three teens, and Donald walked in front. They formed a box around Roxas, just to make sure as they went through the front doors.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

Mickey was outside with Yensid, chatting as he waited for the others.

Yensid turned to Mickey as he finished his summon. "You have done well for yourself Mickey. I am happy to see you become so strong."

"Your words are too king, Master."

"But you and I both know it to be true. Going from a prankster working for a steamboat captian, to a curious and troublemaking apprentice," Yensid chuckled at the memory, "then to discover the ability to wield the Keyblade and become King; that's quite the adventurous lifetime. You have loyal subjects and friends that love you and you have the trust of many people. You have earned every amount of respect." Yensid smiled, "This is very rare for me to say, so keep this close to your heart. Mickey, I'm proud of you."

Mickey was teary-eyed, this man was the closest to a father he had come to know. It was just as Yensid said, he was troublesome while under Yensid's instruction. But even with all he had done, Master Yensid said he was proud. "Thank you, sir."

"Enough of that as well. You are a great King now, if anything, just call me Yensid. You are a friend, dear Mickey."

Although Yensid didn't look or sound anything like him, Mickey had an image of Ansem flash through his mind. He remembered the man's warm smile, even as cynical as he was in his studies. Just the way Yensid said 'dear Mickey' reminded him of how Ansem addressed him when he was alive.

 _. . .m_ _y dear friend Mickey. . ._

Mickey felt happiness while at the same time felt a twinge of sorrow. It was a bittersweet memory.

"It will be weird to get used to, but you got it. Thank you, Yensid."

As the two finished up, the rest of the group came out of the tower. The train pulled up to a stop and began glowing, the door whooshed open.

Yensid greeted the group with his gaze, looking to everyone, but focusing more on Roxas. "This will not be easy," he pulled his gaze from teen and returned to the whole, "for any of you. But I'm sure you will be all right."

Everyone nodded and Sora spoke, "Thank you for all your help, Master Yensid."

Yensid backed away from the train so that the group could board. Donald and Goofy trailed Mickey in first. Riku climbed in next, pulling Roxas up into the doorframe when Sora nudged him in from behind.

"Sora. . ."

The teen looked back to the wizard.

"If you need anymore help or you come across something 'odd' come back to me and we'll discuss a solution further."

"Gotcha."

Sora stepped in backwards, still facing Yensid. The door closed, the train whistled as it started to push forward. Yensid turned and moved toward the tower as the train shoved off. The fairies stood on the stairs of the tower, waving goodbye to the train as their Master returned. Sora waved back until they were out of sight, then turned to join his friends in the car.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

Roxas was placed on the seats, limped and relaxed, face lacking any trace of tense or twitch. He was pale, as if ill, just a pure snow white complexion. Even so, Yensid gave him a healthy body weight. And another plus, his breathing was still perfect.

The group was spread out. Donald and Goofy were asleep, leaning on each other huddled on a line of seats over from Sora, Riku, and Mickey.

Sora sat across from Roxas, glaring at the teen. He was watching for any negative sign, putting himself on edge as his anxiety increased. He was lost in thought as he looked at Roxas up and down while the teen slept.

Riku pressed the back of his hand against Sora's face. Sora turned to him with confusion.

"Your face looks better. . . That's all."

"Oh, I see."

Sora took the hand that caressed his cheek and brought his attention to it. It was still a statue gray color with splotches of tan and white. Veins were protruding the skin, pale blue in color.

"Same to you. I mean it's not the best, but it has some peachy look to it."

"Yep, Yensid said it would change back eventually."

"That's good, I hope your not in too much pain."

Riku looked over with a grin, "Nope, I'm alright. I'm more worried about you, since your not the one worrying about you."

"Yeah, I know but. . ."

Riku's grin disappeared as he peered at Roxas. "The King and I can watch him, you know?"

"Yep I know. And I appreciate you guys, especially after all of this. But. . ."

"Oh, come on!" Riku snapped, pushing Sora down, throwing his head into the seat. Sora was laying out with Riku's hand wrapped around his head. Riku was on his feet, overshadowing Sora. "You need to relax Sora, don't overwork yourself. Your acting like a first time mom." Although Riku's voice was whispered, gentle, his physical action spoke overpowering volumes.

"Ow. . ."

"Riku, not to rough." The king jumped up about the same time Riku had, nervous by the older teens move.

"Come on, your Highness. He's being a stubborn brat. You know that he sucks at taking care of himself, especially when others get involved."

"I know, but still. . ."

Riku relaxed his grip, lifting his hand ever so slightly. But before he pulled away completely, he had the feeling he was going to be attacked. He had gotten so used to home that he had forgot all about putting up his guard. He had no need to fight anyone, so he lacked preparation. His feeling was confirmed when he caught a figure approaching from the corner of his eye. The figures arms were up, elbows bent back, like they were going to bring down something heavy onto Riku's head.

"Roxas! Don't," Mickey screamed.

Riku brought his hands up, turning his body to face Roxas. He clasped the object Roxas threw in-between his palms. It was thick and cold, metallic with a cylinder-like tall structure. It felt like a pipe, but it had a yellow-gold handle with a charm dangling from a chain. Riku was shocked. Donald and Goofy finally awoke from the commotion.

"You. . . Why did you summon this?"

Everyone grew silent. Sora lifted his head, stunned. He was frozen in place and couldn't bring himself to say anything as much as he wanted this to stop.

Riku asked again, stern, "Why do you have the Keyblade right now?"

A bizarre sensation bubbled then burst inside of Roxas. He didn't know why what Riku said pushed his over the edge, but he was threatened, pissed off. He had a moment of Deja Vu that he couldn't back up, but he had heard those words. He had faced this man before with malice, maybe in a past life. Unexplainable anger took him over as he said his first words aside from Sora's name, "Shut up!"

Roxas tried to draw the blade back, he wanted to strike Riku down so bad but he didn't know why. He was conflicting in his head. It was Sora's voice calling him that reached him.

"Roxas!"

The voice was enraged. Roxas looked up to see Sora's heated stare, causing him to panic. He began to tremble, he was scared. Sora noticed this and ease his expression, but Roxas was haunted by that look.

The teen loosened his stance and his hands, allowing Riku to hand the blade to Sora who whisked it away with a cast of his wrist.

"I. . . I don't," Roxas grabbed his head as he fell to his knees sobbing. Donald and Goofy came over, standing behind him. Roxas turned quickly, slapping Donald by accident. Donald didn't really yell or anything, but his face gave away that he was shocked. "I'm sorry, I," Roxas began to force himself across the floorboards, using his feet to backpedal. "Please, just get away from me!"

Sora and Riku chased him, making Roxas scream more, begging them to stay away. Sora and Riku got on each side of the teen, sitting on the floor with him. Roxas covered his face, apologizing over and over again.

Mickey quietly climbed back into his seat, knowing that there was no need for him. Donald and Goofy joined, watching.

Sora grabbed Roxas's shoulders, causing the teen to jump. Roxas just curled up more, breaking Sora's heart. Sora brought Roxas close, hugging him tight. Roxas didn't know what to feel, he felt safe but he was scared. But at this point he wasn't scared of Sora anymore, he was scared of what he did. Roxas just couldn't help but nuzzle up against Sora and cry more.

After a while Riku finally jumped in, "Hey, come on, cut that out. No ones mad at you okay?"

Although Riku's tone was gruff, Roxas knew he was telling the truth. He pulled away from Sora to sniffle and wipe his eyes.

Once calm, Sora asked, "Roxas, what was that all about?"

"I. . . I really don't," Roxas couldn't explain why he reacted the way he did, but he gave off one emotion.

 _Fear_

Despite them being permanently split, Sora could still tell what Roxas was thinking. Sora looked him square in the face, causing Roxas to duck his head like a turtle trying to hide in it's shell.

"Did we scare you?"

"I. . . I saw, he and you. . ."

"Huh," Riku interjected.

"What happened before," Sora explained to Riku before returning to Roxas. "I'm fine. Riku didn't hurt me."

"But it felt like. . ."

"Well, he didn't mean to."

"I wouldn't totally whoop his ass unless he really needed it," Riku joked.

Sora simply shook his hung head, "Whatever."

Everyone fell silent, then Sora finally spoke, "Roxas, do you remember what I told you back at the tower?"

How could he not. It was the first memory he gained, mixed with the first sensations and emotions he experienced. And it wasn't anything he could or would be forgetting soon.

"You can trust us."

Roxas only said, "I believe you."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

The train reached the station two hours later. Roxas stayed awake the rest of the ride, giving Sora a chance to sleep. Now was the time to train Roxas.

The remainder of the ride was teaching Roxas how to walk on his own. Even with the strength and burst of energy he had when Riku pinned Sora, Roxas lost that power in his legs now.

Roxas was like a fawn; legs shaking, body heavy, and constantly stumbling. But like every fawn born, he got better with trial and error. Goofy and Riku stayed by Roxas, constantly keeping him on his feet. If his legs showed signs of giving out, they would set him down for a breather.

Donald and King Mickey sat at the end of the train, remaining away from the situation to give the three space for practice. With Sora across the aisle, the two whispered encouragement.

Finally, Roxas was ready. He was walking, jogging and running accurately. It was stopping without tipping over or feeling light-headed that was a new challenge, but that was something to conquer later.

They all exited the train one-by-one and left the station. As they stepped on the plaza, Roxas walked forward, awe and excitement twinkling in his eyes. The outside of the station was beautiful. The sky was brimming with darker shades of orange and red, the sun visiable and easy to look toward. Everything gave Roxas a warm and fuzzy feeling.

"Is this?"

"It is, it's Twilight Town."

Roxas turned to them all as they spoke.

"Welcome home. . .

. . . Roxas. . ."

And with that, the bell chimed as if the Town itself was welcoming him.


	5. Chapter 5

Roxas walked around in a daze as he took in every scent, every sound, every person that gathered around and bustled about the town. Even though he was confused with his surroundings, he still had an odd feeling of nostalgia. He couldn't tell why, but he was picking up on things quickly. Obviously to everyone, he was getting a little excited, leading him to go a little bit overboard and over his head.

"It's alright, take your time to remember and get used to this place. You have all the time in the world to enjoy things."

Roxas smiled at the comment as he happily held onto Sora's hand. The group headed to a building that resembled his original home in Ansem's computer, leaving the King behind. Mickey stayed to talk to the owner of the property and to take care of any hiccups now and down the road, so that Roxas can be comfortable until he could support himself. Thankfully, the home was as vacant as in the simulation, no one was living in it. All that had to be done was to add everything in.

On their way to Yensid's tower to rebirth Roxas, Riku tried to put Sora at ease a bit by talking about the shops and what they had. Riku passed them and stopped, occasionally pointing at something and stating to Sora, "Roxas had this in his room," or "Roxas was saving his money for that," and so on. Thanks to Riku's memory, they knew where to shop at and what to look for to surprise Roxas. And with help from Sora, Riku, Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey's funds (with Queen Minnies consent, of course), Roxas would be secure.

They all approached the building, which was pure red brick and a bit roughed up. It definitely stood out compared to the other structures surrounding it. However, there were no complaints since the building was in great shape. It had three floors, but even so it was very tall almost as if it should be five or six floors in height. The building was like a tower, which made Roxas feel intimidated standing under it's stretched shadow. The teen felt himself grow small. Maybe it was anxiousness, maybe it was nervousness, or maybe since he had never been here before, he was just gaining an irrational fear for what awaited him. There was a little bit of excitement in him, of course, and he knew the group wouldn't do anything on purpose to hurt or scare him. But even though he was fighting his thoughts on the matter, the negativity wouldn't shake off.

He spoke, hoping to take his mind off the fear eating at him. His voice was shaky, but not enough for the others to really notice. "This place is . . . so big. Can I really live here?"

"Yeah," Riku answered simply.

No one made a move forward, leaving Roxas to push on in hopes the others would follow. He took a step before pausing and motioning backwards slowly. Sora came up behind him, hand on Roxas's back as Sora moved him up the steps gently.

"Sora. . . Um," Roxas turned.

Even though Roxas had done a good job covering up his emotions, Sora still had a small sensitive connection to Roxas's body and heart. It had been fading since they left Yensid's tower, but Sora still could distinguish the teens anguish and fear for his new home. Sora leaned to whisper to Roxas, "It's okay, I got you."

Bizarrely enough, Roxas hadn't realized how much he needed to hear those simple words. His heart had been beating wildly a-mile-a-minute the moment Sora pried him from his stance on the stoop. He breathed, calming his mind. He looked to Sora, "Thanks."

Sora nodded and backed off slightly, giving Roxas his space to gather enough confidence to walk forward himself.

Roxas climbed up the stoop, placing his hand on the cherry colored wooden door. He laid his head on the door, feeling the cool and sturdy texture. It felt smooth and glossy, as if it had been cleaned, maybe even waxed. For a building that hadn't had a resident for awhile, someone took good care of this place so that it would be ready. Roxas leaned back to look up at the windows, wedged closed and covered in purple satin looking curtains. Roxas could feel his negative vibes changing into excitement as his curiosity peeked. How could someone who made this place look so clean outside not do the same on the inside? It couldn't, no, it _sho_ _uldn't_ be that bad.

Sora came up next to Roxas as the teen snapped out of his thoughts. He opened his hand to reveal a tarnished bronze key that matched the lock on the door. He held it up before sticking it in and turning, "Got it from the landlord. She was kind to let us take a look, but now knowing that King Mickey will be getting this place, I'll go ahead and say this is yours."

The lock clicked open and Sora passed the key from the keyhole to Roxas's palm. "Keep it in your pocket for now."

Roxas felt his heart jump at the gesture. Although to anyone else this would be just a simple command, to Roxas, this was his first real job. As Roxas put the key in his jacket pocket, Sora opened the door and smiled, "Let's go in, shall we?"

Sora stepped in and disappeared into the dark doorway. It was like he walked into a dark dimension, only his voice and the sound of his footsteps could be heard. Donald and Goofy followed inside while Riku clasped Roxas's shoulder.

"Go on, check it out."

Roxas nodded, taking a breathe as he strode in, Riku behind.

The entire space was completely black, barely anything visible. Sora and the King's men were moving around, attempting to avoid each other as their hands reached for a light switch or a curtain pulley.

Roxas backed into Riku, stepping over the top of his shoes accidentally.

"Ow . . . "

"Oh, I'm sorry, I . . . "

"You're alright, just stay calm. They'll have the lights on in a minute."

Like magic, the room was flooded with light. It was a mixture of sunlight coming in through all three windows, one next to front door and seven along the wall, diagonal of said door. Once everyone's eyes adjusted, they looked around, taking in the look and atmosphere.

The room was painted with pale gray-white walls and it was spacious even with the amount of items placed around. The first big thing in the room was an old Victorian designed fireplace, pure white and smooth. The mantel, both the mantel shelf and under-mantel, were marble along with the trim panels and pillars. The pillars, weirdly enough, didn't match to the traditional Victorian fireplace. They were detailed and fleshed out like the pillars you would see holding up the Olympus Coliseum. The chase, cladding, and hearth where a darker gray tile compared to the walls, but they still matched nicely. And finally the fire box was dark and covered with black bars to keep anyone, most likely children and drunken fools, from falling in.

The second thing to notice was the amount of lamps conquering the space. It was only four lamps and a ceiling overhead light attached to the fan, but it seemed a bit overkill, especially if the overhead light will be excessively bright alone. However, benefit of the doubt, it probably gets really dark once night hits.

And the third thing to notice was the couches, one love-seat and two sofas.

Everything was covered in dust, but not doused like it should have been for a building abandoned for a year or two. Even with the dust covering the items, colors were rather vibrant. The lamps all had an ambreish faint blue tint that gave off a snowy-frost like feel. The couches were tan leather that where covered in plastic, no wear or tear to be aware of. Everything looked as if it could be brand new. The landlord and whoever else helped with cleaning and renovating put a lot of love into beautifying the home.

The group stood, confused and a bit baffled, until Sora spoke.

"Oh yeah, that's right! The landlady said something about this place originally being a dormitory before, or something like that. It has separated bedrooms upstairs for everyone to have their own private space, but a huge living room and a kitchen and dinning room that the students shared. She wanted to fix it up to what it was before."

"Really, seems kinda weird," Riku stated.

"She thought it would be interesting to see how it works out. 'A building made into an apartment where everyone has privacy but still interacts with each other would be an engaging experiment.'"

"She said that?"

"Something like that."

"How. . . fascinating."

"So, they're still working things around, huh? Is it really okay for us to come in yet then," Roxas asked.

"We're okay. And even better, you'll get to have the place to yourself for a while. You can play around, choose your room, look around. Then hopefully when more people come to stay, you can show them and be more relaxed," Sora encouraged.

Roxas nodded his head in understanding.

Sora walked over to the switches on the wall next to the front door. When he flipped the first one, all the lights came on in the living room. When he flipped the second switch, the light at the top of the staircase came on.

"Glad the lights work," Riku commented.

"Yeah," Sora looked up in the top hallway, "Well, your move Roxas. You get to call what bedroom you want."

"Hey, that sounds fun! Don't it Roxas," Goofy said as he and Donald jumped into the conversation.

Roxas paused a moment before giving a nervous smile, "Um, yeah."

"Great, let's check it out then," Donald said excited as he and Goofy lead Roxas away from the teens.

Right at that moment, Mickey came in, closing the door behind him. "Hey, guys. How are things?" He looked around taking in the interior. "Not bad, not bad at all."

"We're good. How'd the talk with the owner go?"

"Great!" Mickey went into detail about the rules and regulations that came with renting. After he was finished, Donald, Goofy, and Roxas continued up. Mickey then quickly went into listing the shops Riku mentioned before.

Roxas looked back at the three, stopping mid-way to listen. He overheard their comments, "Don't worry you're highness, we can take care of the rest."

"Are you sure, Sora? There's still plenty of money on me if you need it."

Roxas went stiff, guilt swallowing him. He couldn't remember his life before, or what the value of munny was in total, but Roxas knew how much trouble everyone was going through for him.

"You," Roxas began before stopping himself.

Everyone drew their attention to him, causing the blonde to devour his voice.

Sora spun and walked the stairs, standing before Roxas. He placed his hand on the rail, "What's wrong, Roxas?"

Roxas drew back, shaking his head.

Sora sighed lightly before smiling. He was too kind and patient, as tired as he was. He could wait as long as it took for someone to gather their courage, but he knew for Roxas, he would have to leave to get a response. He didn't know how much he could get out of the blonde without pushing him.

"Okay, whenever you're ready then." Sora made his way to the front door, joining Mickey and Riku.

"Sora. . . "

The brunette turned his attention again, "Yeah?"

"Um," Roxas walked down the steps slowly taking Sora's hands in his own. He faced Sora, not really focusing one hundred percent on him. Roxas glanced around as if finding the right words to say before staring into Sora's eyes. "I don't really know what to say other than. . . th-thanks."

Sora retracted his hands and wrapped his arms around Roxas's shoulders, patting him once, twice. "No thanks necessary. You're our family, our friend. This is what we do."

Roxas smiled into Sora's neck as he snaked his arms around the teen. "Thanks, but I really feel like I need to do something for you guys in return."

Sora pulled away, holding Roxas at arms length. "Okay, how about you let us take care of you for right now. And when you are ready to get a job, save up for somethings for yourself and for emergencies. After a while, if you still want to do something, then so be it. But know that we weren't expecting anything in return. We knew all the responsibilities that would come with watching over you."

"I understand and I'm gonna get a job as soon as I can, I promise!"

"You can, but don't push yourself. Slow pace, got it?"

Roxas nodded, smile getting brighter with each word Sora spoke.

Sora retracted his hands, "I'm going out with Riku and Mickey for all the stuff you'll need for your room and the kitchen."

Roxas had a edgy look on his face when he registered that he was going to be with just Donald and Goofy for a few hours.

"Will you be okay with just them?"

Roxas smiled at the dog and duck, "Yeah, I'll be fine."

Donald and Goofy beamed with glee as they came down to fetch Roxas. "Come on, let's go then," they both said.

Roxas agreed, saying goodbye before heading to the second floor hallway.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

The trio headed out, making mental checklists of what they would need to buy and where they could find everything. Sora looked over his shoulder, watching the house as it faded. He felt disturbed being away from the blonde for just a moment, especially after just getting his body and heart back. But Roxas was confident and safe, so why did Sora feel odd?

Riku noticed Sora's reactions. "You know, you can't play the role of Mommy forever."

Sora chuckled, "Oh, shut up, I know!" Sora returned to Mickey and Riku, "So, where are we heading first?"

"We should hit the shops and get the stuff we know will be delivered overnight. We can handle everything else later," Mickey planned.

"Sounds good," Sora exclaimed with joy.

Riku smiled at Sora's expression, placing one hand in his pocket and wrapping the other around Sora's shoulder. "We'll get the fish-lamp, the plants, the clock, and the comforters."

"Do you think he'll need more covers. We didn't really look around the room, all that we know is that the owner has a bed and new mattress that he could have. That's confirmed along with a refrigerator in the kitchen, a dinning table, and maybe some curtains in each bedroom. He might have plenty."

And if he doesn't?"

". . .Well. . ."

"Think of it this way, if that's the case, then he's set and we got him extra blankets. We can never be too lenient."

Mickey jumped in, "While you guys decide what to do with that and the groceries, I'll see what I can do about the desk, chair, and TV for today."

"I remember that there was an old man over by that ally, you know, the one before you reach the sandlot in the marketplace? He had a desk that was the perfect model for the one Roxas had."

"Great, I'll look into it."

"Oh yeah, what about food? What should we even get for now," Sora asked worriedly, "I don't know if just that little bit of snacking we did earlier will satisfy Roxas until much later."

"And we know he'll be of a pain when it comes to denying his hunger," Riku commented crossing his arms.

"You really think so," Sora questioned.

"Well, with the way he was acting as we left, I'd say so. He already thinks we're breaking our necks and dropping our wallets to help him. I honestly feel he would do anything to deny while also trying to prove that he's okay. Once we offer him food that we will be eating, then he probably will let his stomach grumble freely."

"That just means we'll have to set a time for all of us to eat our main meals together. Then we'll encourage him to snack here and there until he realizes he is independent enough to do what he needs to. . ."

"You're being a Mommy again," Riku teased, helping Sora slow down.

Sora looked to Riku with a stern stare, before softening his expression. "If it means he becomes stronger and can be comfortable with making his own decisions, even if it's just about what he eats, then screw it! Call me Mama!"

Riku laughed, causing Sora and Mickey to chuckle lightly.

They continued traveling down the hill that lead to the downtown shopping district. Different shops where spread out with possible apartment and business buildings surrounding the spot. And there was a colorful trolley that weaved in and out of the spaces between each towering edifice.

"Welp, we're here gentlemen," Mickey exclaimed with a bit of excitement. This jumped tone in the King's voice confused the two teens, who then realized since he's King he rarely gets to do things like this. They chuckled as Mickey looked back at them, causing their expressions to change back instantly.

"Time to split and get to work."

"Right," Riku and Sora said, sharing the Kings determination.

!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

It was roughly three hours later when the boys and King Mickey returned. Thanks to their teamwork, they were able to get a moving truck to deliver the stuff by tomorrow morning, giving them more arm room for groceries and dinner. The landlord had visited while they were out. She delivered the bed with the help of two extra gentleman. It was set nicely in the room Roxas chose, they would worry about moving it around to the best position later. Until then, Riku and Sora could sleep downstairs on the couches. They weren't about to leave Roxas alone for his first night in a new place.

The three of them piled in through the entrance, surprising everyone with the huge bags they each carried. Sora and Mickey gathered up the extra blankets and comforters along with only a small portion of refrigerate-able food. Riku was the last to enter, carrying with him a few boxes of pizza for dinner.

"Wow, you guys really got busy," Goofy exclaimed.

Donald approached Riku intending to help the teen carry the boxes. Riku bent down and handed Donald the boxes, causing the duck to stumble backwards before regaining his balance. Donald turned to walk away.

"Go ahead and set the pizzas on the floor next to the fireplace and try not to eat all of it before we get a chance," Riku joked.

Donald turned around, giving a wicked smile that would make a heartless run in fear. "Thanks for the idea."

"Donald," Riku and Sora yelled, laughing after.

"Geez, okay. I won't! You don't gotta shout," Donald chuckled along.

Everyone gathered in a circle on the floor, facing each other as close to the fireplace as possible. To everyone's delight, Roxas' stomach grumbled loudly and he didn't refuse to eat. He was the first to get his food and didn't even wait for everyone. To many, this would be seen as plain rude, but to the others, it was a great thing that the teen had an appetite. It took no time for him to swallow down one piece, he was almost finished with his second once everyone was seated. He grabbed two more slices from the box resting in the middle of the floor.

Half-way through his third, he started coughing and grabbed for his glass of milk that Goofy had set next to him earlier. He chugged, washing out his throat.

Everyone was shocked, jumping to their feet, but a sigh of relief traveled among them once the crisis was averted. Roxas wiped his face, taking note of the ridiculous amount of sauce and grease that drizzled down past his chin.

"Jeez, slow down a bit, okay?" Riku passed a napkin to Roxas. "There's plenty to go around. No one's gonna snatch it off your plate."

As Roxas nodded, feeling embarrassed by his actions, he let out a loud belch that made the room go quiet. He covered his face with the napkin as he turned beet red. He didn't know what to do and no one was saying anything. He looked up nervously, eyeing everyone. They all just stared at him, mouths agape. He didn't want to say anything, he just wanted to turn and run. Not only was he being selfish by eating first but now he was just being a straight up pig. He tried to make words come through, "I'm sor. . ."

Sora shot his head back as he howled with laughter causing everyone to follow suit. He clutched his stomach, smiling, "Nice one, Roxas!"

"Well, he takes after you alright," Riku commented.

Sora looked at him, "What was that?"

"You heard me, he takes after you. Except he actually tried to apologize."

"You wanna go, bro?! We can do this like we did at school the other day!" Sora got on his feet and picked up his plate with half of his pizza still on it.

"Come on, that's just lame! We'll handle this like adults. Let's duke it out with some wooden swords from the item shop of something?"

"Deal!"

As they stared each other down, taking fighting stances, Roxas joined everyone in laughter. He could feel himself relaxing. And oddly, just seeing Sora and Riku "fight" gave him yet another feeling of nostalgia. But he couldn't pin-point where this feeling was coming from or why it even existed.

Everything quieted down as Roxas let out a yawn. He rubbed his eyes a gave a lazy grin. His head started bobbing as he picked at the remnants of his third piece. He placed the forth slice back, realizing that he probably wouldn't get to it in time. He went to put the third slice in his mouth, giving the impression of a child falling asleep at the dinner table.

Roxas flinched as Sora reached for him. "Hey, try to finish that and we'll get you to bed. You had one heck of a first day, kiddo."

Roxas smiled, nibbling at the crust of his slice like he was a hamster with a sunflower seed.

"Okay, now he's just showing off how cute he thinks he is," Donald joked with the King and Goofy.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

The Disney trio were on their way out by ten o'clock. They had many royal duties to attend to before they could return to help the teens out.

"You guys gonna be okay for the next few days?"

"We'll be fine. Thank you, Your Highness." Sora said.

"You know how to get in contact if you need us."

Donald and Goofy had already walked ahead to prepare the gummi ship. After his goodbye, Mickey quickly went to join them.

Sora sighed, shoulders hunched as he felt an invisible weight pushing him to the ground. He felt himself tipping forward and he yawned. He straightened his back, took a breath and shook his head vigorously to wake himself. He closed the front door and locked up for the night.

Sora turned to the living room and spotted Riku and Roxas on the loveseat. Riku was sitting on the edge while Roxas was laid out on his stomach. Roxas changed into a shirt and fresh underwear to sleep in. He had his head on his forearm, using it like a pillow. His other arm was hanging over the couch, fingers curled into a fist that was kissing the floor. His lower half was sprawled out, taking up all space.

"Compared to this morning, I didn't think he would be so comfortable to be doing. . . well that," Sora giggled. The brunette walked over and stood next to Riku's side taking notice of the teens arm. They had been so busy that he hadn't really noticed how much it had healed. "Wow, Riku! It looks like you'll be healed by tomorrow morning," Sora stated with excitement, rubbing the remaining gray patches of skin.

Riku glanced, "Hey, would you look at that. Yensid's abilities really are incredible!"

"Sure are!"

After addressing Riku's arm, Sora looked to Roxas' face before brushing the blondes bangs away from his eyes. "This is so crazy. I still can't believe he's here with us, right at our fingertips."

"You're telling me, I honestly never thought I'd see this punk again. Let alone, he'd be able to summon the keyblade and strike at me! That shocked me."

Riku tussled Roxas' head, causing the teen to jump awake, eyes wide but clouded.

"Ah, whoops."

"Awe, why'd you go and do that, Riku," Sora whined with a smile.

"Hey, I didn't mean. . ."

Roxas, bored by what the guys were saying, face-planted into Riku's thigh groaning. He didn't move.

". . ."

". . . . ."

". . . . . . . ."

". . . You okay, Roxas?"

The teen made a little noise but didn't seem to move. Riku attempted to push his head to recover his leg, but Roxas would just nuzzle back in place.

"Roxas, come on. It's about time you get to bed."

Roxas still wouldn't move. Riku tried to persuade, even bribe, but Roxas only fought. He mumbled, "No."

Riku raised an eyebrow and looked to Sora, who shared the same expression.

Sora took his shot, "Why not? What's wrong?"

"I just don't wanna, not up there. . ."

Sora thought through what was distressing the blonde. An idea popped into his head as Riku leaned towards him. They whispered.

"Maybe he's scared of the dark? But leaving on a light shouldn't be too much of a problem, right?"

"That's a good hunch," Sora responded, studying Roxas' body language. The teen had his face hidden, hands gripping Riku's pant leg so hard his knuckles turned white. "I don't think that's all that's wrong."

Riku blinked, possibly catching on, "You don't mean. . ."

Sora wrapped his arms and tapped his chin, thinking. He turned to Riku and nodded, then spoke the blondes name. Roxas replied by tilting his head up, half of his face still covered. Sora smiled softly, "You wanna stay down here with us?"

"Oh, I see," Riku spoke under his breath. He looked down at the teen, "Well, if you give me back what's mine, I'll get you a pillow and blanket."

Roxas, quick as lightening, sat up and backed up. Riku stood and walked over to the bags that were resting on the floor by the other side of the couch. He rummaged through while Sora shared a small moment.

"You know, you could have just said you didn't want to be alone."

". . . I know. . ."

"Remember what we talked about?"

"Hm. . ."

Riku threw pillows towards the two. Sora was able to catch his while he was still fixed on Roxas. Roxas' pillow hit him square in the face as he followed the direction of Riku's voice. He panicked but snatched it up before it hit the floor.

Roxas looked up to both of them and smiled as Sora exclaimed, "Whelp, we should get some sleep."

Roxas face-dived into his pillow, burrowing. Riku laid a blanket over his body, with which the teen wrapped up to create a cocoon.

Just within seconds, Sora sat and played with Roxas' hair. The blonde gave a small sigh, then snored lightly. Sora and Riku were taken aback.

"Jeez, that was quick!"

"Well, like you said, he had a long day. And it's about time for us to join him. Which couch did you want?"

Sora let Riku's voice travel from him, still staring a Roxas. The teen's face was so peaceful, so tranquil that Sora grinned from ear-to-ear.

"Night, Kiddo. . .

. . . Sweet dreams. . ."


End file.
